Monthly Archive

Hey guys,

Appparantly the SPS email system is down through the weekend.  So if you have responded to my email checks, and you were looking for a response…I’m sorry! :-(  Anyway, it should be up and running in time for school. 

Looking forward to seeing you all on Tuesday!

~Ms. N.

Last night was open house for undersclassmen (9th-11th graders).  I was very pleasantly surprised at the number of students and parents who came by to meet me.  It was wonderful to meet all of you and begin to get to know you.  And it was wonderful to see my returning students.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and will be ready for school on Tuesday!  See you ALL very, very soon!

<3 Ms. N

Choral students,

Please see attached to this blog your choral class syllabi.  You will be receiving a copy of this in class the first day, however, if you would like to peruse it now, please do so. 

choralclasses_syllabus_08-091.doc 

Ms. N.

Hey guys, tonight is open house for seniors.  I hope to see many of my returning students and those new seniors who are venturing into the world of music and theatre.  I look foward to seeing you and your parents. 

Ms. N.

Ah!  Do I have to learn this!?! 

I hate this!

I can’t do this!  I’ll just quit!

I thought chorus was supposed to be fun! (And an easy A!)

How many times do you think I’ve heard comments like the ones above?  A LOT….in face, more than I can remember.  And I hear the same basic ones all the time.

Sight singing, the ability to sing a piece of music based on just sight reading it, is a learned skill.  Everyone learns it at their own pace, but ALL can learn it.  It’s what separates the good singers from the great ones.

How is it practical?  Well, let’s get real here…you need to have some level of competency with your reading as a musician in order to get jobs!  Studio musicians hhave to have some understand of what is on the page.  Sometimes they get jobs where the don’t get the music until the day of.  You can’t trust someone to give you a recording and say “memorize it.”  That’s not performance.  Memorization is not Performance.  Say that with me.  Memorization is not Performance.  (This applies in acting too).

If you want to work as a musician, you need to know how to do it–whether you want to be Rhianna or Pavarotti, Dave Matthews or Yo Yo Ma.  You will be more hireable and desireable as a musician, because you learn so much quicker and easier than the musician who does not.  You’ll also find that music is more enjoyable when it comes naturally and easily. 

So, in short, give sight reading and singing your best effort.  That’s all you need to do.  It is like walking or riding a bike.  The more you do it, the more easily it comes to you.  And suddenly, one day, you take off and you’ve got.  So hang in there!!!!!! 

Welcome Students and Parents to My Teaching Blog!  This blog is maintained and operated out of Nansemond River High School. 

I  plan to have extra material on here that will help in the classroom throughout the year.  You may find some of my musings on art, music, and the like on here as well, as I want my students to being to THINK and SPEAK as creative artists, and therefore understand what is being thought and said by others of the like.

I look foward to working with you all this year!

Peace and Love,

Ms. N